Health Benefits (or Risks) of Frequent Blood Donation
I have donated blood products (whole blood, plasma, and platelets) for a few years. I usually donate 2-3 times per year. My question revolves around the whole life relative risk of blood donation. With a family history of multiple myeloma and chronic lymphocytic leukemia, is it wise to stimulate bone marrow production of more hematologic cells? I am approaching this as a 37yo healthy male interested in maximizing health span and longevity. Thank you for your time and the great content!
Vitamin B12 reference range (discrepancy between US and Europe/Japan)
Hi Bob & Peter, I appreciate your previous in-depth coverage of Peter's personal preferred reference ranges for lab results. I was curious what reference range Peter uses for Vitamin B12? It's difficult to know what to aim for when the US the range is 200 to 900 pg/mL and Japan's is 900 to 1300 pg/mL. To further complicate things, I know MTHFR mutations effect Vitamin B12 metabolism - could knowing your MTHFR genotype help inform what Vitamin B12 levels to aim for (at least directionally)?
Animal protein association with increased cancer and other disease risk
What are your thoughts on some ecological studies (notably the China Study and other works from Colin and Thomas Campbell) showing an association between increased animal protein consumption and increased cancer, cardiovascular, diabetes, and other disease prevalence? Thoughts on veganism and being plant-based? From everything I have read it would seem that weighing the potential benefits and harms of every diet out there, being plant-based (i.e. vegan) and eliminating highly-processed foods and added sugar would give the most potential benefit while minimizing the most potential risk/harm. The evidence against meat, dairy, and other animal proteins is certainly mixed, but I wonder what your thought process is about eating [well-sourced] meat considering the potential harms shown in various studies.